1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an agricultural machine for harvesting a vine and recovering and ejecting the collected fruit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In known harvesting machines, the threshers are an assembly of beaters on a verticle shaft mounted on both sides of the line of the vine and activated by a transverse oscillating movement. The movement of these beaters is well known. Such systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,889,454; 3,890,774 and 3,939,629 for: "A transverse beating device for a grape-gathering machine," all in the name of the present applicant.
For example, a grape recovering device for a grape gathering machine is characterized in that it includes at least one swinging frame in the shape of a downwardly open U, which is supported at its upper portion with the lower ends of the two arms adapted to be disposed on either side of a vine stock. The lower end of each arm has a substantially vertical pivot pin on which a lever pivots, the free end of said lever carrying in turn a pin on which a disk rotates freely, said sealing disk being slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal, and carrying peripheral notches intended to come and engage against the foot of a vine stock, while the notches of the other disk come and engage against the opposite side of said foot.
According to another feature, the two notched disks or scales of the swinging frame overlap each other in the same plane which is slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal, so that the grapes which fall on said scales discharge laterally by themselves, under their own weight.
According to another feature, the swinging frame is provided with a transmission gear between the two scale-carrying pivoting levers, so that, when one of the levers moves its scale, for instance, in the direction of the other arm of the swinging frame, the other lever moves its scale in the same direction, that is, the free section defined between the opposite notches of the two scales is kept substantially constant, said free section being used to allow the foot of a vine stock to pass. Owing to this arrangement, the stock is subjected to minimum stresses, so that the device does not injure the stocks.
According to another feature, the swinging frame is able to swing about the upper shaft or traveller from which it is hanging.
According to an additional feature, a plurality of swinging frames of the above-mentioned type are suspended behind on another from a single upper longitudinal shaft or traveller so that they define a tunnel or channel capable of topping a row of vines, while the swinging frames constituting said tunnel are able to swing independently from each other.
According to an additional feature, two travellers of the above-mentioned type are mounted on a single grape gathering machine, said travellers being directed lengthwise and side by side while each of them supports a tunnel provided with recovering disks or scales, so that said gathering machine can work on two rows of vine stocks simultaneously.
According to a further feature, each recovering scale is constituted by a disk of sheet steel coated with a material capable of withstanding continuous shocks and frictions, such as polyurethane, superpolyamide ("Nylon"), synthetic rubber, or the like.
According to a further feature, each scale is constituted by a steel disk having six notches, said notches being defined by the bottoms of six teeth, the shape of which is similar to that of a ratchet wheel, so that every disk presents a notch when a new vine stock is topped by the machine, and turns by itself as the machine moves forward with respect to said vine stock.
According to a further feature, said automatic rotary motion of the scales and the dip of the plane thereof with respect to the horizontal are used for ensuring the transfer of the vintage to the side of the tunnel or channel automatically.
According to a modification, each disk or scale has one of its surfaces provided with a rubber disk having a protruding lip, which improves the tightness and ensures a perfect recovery both of the grapes and the juice.
A beating device for a grape-gathering machine including at least one tunnel defining member in the shape of a downwardly open U, has two vertical arms which move on either side of a row of vine stocks. On each of the arms of the tunnel defining member at least one frame which is pivotally mounted about a vertical spindle parallel to the arm, each frame having flexible and resilient rods projecting from each end of said frame in the manner of the teeth of a comb. The rods are rearwardly directed with respect to the direction of movement of the machine, the assembly of rods mounted on one frame constituting a whip. Means are provided for controlling the swinging of the whip-carrying plates to bring the whips nearer to or farther from the center of the tunnel defining member. All the whips disposed on the same side of the row of vines are imparted movements identical with each other, said motions being out of phase with respect to the motions of the whips disposed on the other side of said tunnel defining member.
The movement of the whips is controlled by double-acting hydraulic jacks, each of which has a horizontal cylinder fixed to the machine, and a sliding rod extending from each end of said cylinder, one end of which is linked to one whip carrying frame, while the other end is linked to another whip carrying frame mounted on the same side of the tunnel.
Each whip carrying frame operates in opposite phase to the opposed whip carrying frame located in the same transverse section of the tunnel defining member; and in phase with the whip carrying frame or frames located in the same row, that is, on the same side of the tunnel defining member.
According to another feature, the whips located on the outer side of a row of vine stocks are imparted a motion which is out of step with respect to the swinging motion of the whips located on the inner side of the row, the amplitude of the motion of the outer whips being higher than the amplitude of the inner or whips. The link connecting one end of the jack rod to a frame carrying the first set of whips may be a greater length than that of the link mounted between a jack rod and a frame carrying a second set of whips, so that said difference in length of the links imparts to the first whips a swinging motion, the amplitude of which is greater than that of the synchronous motion of the second whips.
In all of these known machines, the vine is beaten alternately from one side and then the other. Even though the threshers are placed face-to-face they have different movements, and the crop is collected from both sides of the line of the vines. The recovery means, for example the notched discs described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,454 in the name of the present applicant insure vertical sealing of the machine. However, during threshing the grapes acquire a transverse motion and a certain part of the crop is lost on the side of the machine. There is no known system of recovery and ejection which permits, at the level of the machine, a primary selection of the must which would be particularly important for producing quality wines, and notably for the wines of "Appellation Controlee".